What can we do to help Dr Galdikas and her cause?

We can do our part. Here’s how.

1. Care 2 petition site
This is an online based community that serves to make a difference. Its accomplishments include helping to dismiss a proposal to legalize Whaling in Morocco and the banning of burning Sea turtles in the gulf area (due to an oil spill). As seen in the picture above, it is easy to just click and sign one’s name on the petition box and to browse through others to sign and be informed about the latest news regarding the environment. Since we are a media friendly generation I think that it’d be easy to spread the news online, there are links also that allow people to share this on facebook, twitter or by email.

2. Donations + Volunteer Work + Adoptions
We can volunteer and both the zoo and OFI (Orangutan Foundation International) and donations can be made directly to OFI via the website http://www.orangutan.org/how-to-help/donate-to-orangutans. ‘Adopting’ a rehabilitant orangutan could also be another option.

What SCHOOLS can do

3 Education for kids and zoo trips being more tailored and specific to conservation practices.

When I was doing my teacher (facilitator) stint, I brought the kids(explorer) to a talk where they learn about other animals and view animal exhibits and are asked questions related to what they are learning about in school. The kids were not taught anything about conservation or about which animals were endangered, let alone what endangered means or what they could do to help. They simply had fun and answered the math and science questions posed to them on their activity log given by the school.

According to the Biophilia hypothesis, all of us have an innate sense of caring for nature. However in Singapore, we can see that most of us grew up in an environment that included buildlings and we were pretty much shut off from the rest of nature.

Most Singaporeans do care for nature, but  we are still not open or accustomed to nature being with us. For example, my mother has a friend in Australia who lives in the forest, so coming home to see Wallabies in the house is not unusual. For us if we were to see a Wallaby at home, I think we would not be able to react well. Therefore we can see that education and both exposure are important in bringing this culture of human + nature to a higher level.

One example could be more personalized messages towards people that relate nature and the animals to us. In the zoo, there are messages such as these are put up near the orangutans enclosure and I found this signage at another area,

Perhaps the link between us and the orangutans could be established here. For example, destroying the orangutan’s habitats means that our supply of oxygen is also depleted.
Links on how these issues affect us should be greatly highlighted.

4. Living Classrooms – the Zoo comes to you!

The aim of the programme is to spread conservation messages. These programmes are meant for both primary and secondary school students to further educate them on the real issues surrounding the environment and at the same time being able to appreciate and care for the animals.

What the SCHOOLS, Media and Government can do

5. THE BIG HELP by Nickelodeon


The media as we know is a huge source of help in promoting awareness about certain issues and highlighting them to make it more available so that the availability heuristic comes into play. The Big Help in Asia works with the Health Promotion Board, While in the U.S, it works with the National Wildlife Federation, organizations which deal with education and the environment, and schools as well.
Nickelodeon is a huge international channel for kids, and many kids in the US take part in this event.
Perhaps in Singapore, the big help could work with schools as well to raise awareness of endangered animals such as the orangutans and other animals and promote conservation though such learning experiences.